In nature, the maximum speed of a hedgehog is 4 mph. In videogames, the Sonic speed, the speed of the hedgehog is estimated anywhere between 767 and 3,840 mph. The fact that such debates exist and continue to envelop the pixelized turning dervish of Sega, confirms the creation of one of the most distinctive icons of popular culture. His is a comic invention story, corporate scheme and starting point in a revolution that would cease the largest entertainment medium on Earth. This is the story of origin of a game legend.
Sonic The Hedgehog hurriedly entered the lexicon of public consciousness 30 years ago, on June 23, 1991, when the title of Sega Genesis original came to stores. Now, after multiple releases through eras, machines and platforms, together with what would become the adaptation of the fastest growing video game film from North America of all time, the “brand” actually feels more Strong and, perhaps, more waterproof the damage than ever.
But although this seminal character is so unmistakable as the tastes of Pac-Man and his Nemesis Mario, it is less known about the initial development of Sonic and the central role played by three SEGA Japanese employees: Programmer Yuji Naka, Naoto Artist Owhima and Designer Hirokazu Yasuhara. Its history begins at the end of the 1980s, with Sonic just a sprite in the eye of Sega, examining a global play landscape almost completely owned by Nintendo.
The call was “war of the console”, who saw Sega embarked on a deliberate and aggressive campaign to tear down the jovial spanner from his rival, Mario, has dropped into the cultural folklore. It is true that the initial strategy was innocent enough, since the company launched an internal contest to design a replacement for its existing pet, the Kidd Alex Forredormibly forget. Among the participants was Owshima, who presented a range of designs that include an armadillo, porcupine, dog, rabbit and a grumpy old man with a mustache, which would then become the doctor Villain Robotnik.